I'm going back!!

[Dr. Green Fang]

Ok, decision made. I'm going back HYDRO!!

I can control the temps of my root zone MUCH better, especially in the winter! Also, I can control what's going on for their uptake a bit more precisely and quicker... at least for me. I prefer the vigorous growth in veg, and I seem to just do better all around.

Also, random note... I'm purchasing two 600w Hortilux bulbs for one of my flowering tents. Going to see what all the hype is about.

I believe I'll be doing 5gal DWC, or possibly 10 gal totes or something. I'm in the design phase now. I'll be able to use this investment I already made in water/air pumps and buckets etc, instead of step around it in my room. I'll have less to "throw away" after a harvest too. These darn soil root masses are starting to build up around here. I was going to dig a hole and fill them in with this, but instead I'll use them for a raised bed system in the spring.

I want to do Under Current / DWC again, but we'll see what happens. I have an idea to make just DWC much easier on the back. I don't intend on lifting the pots out of the containers much during the process. I'll be putting a 1/2" filler tube just on the side of the mesh pots, surrounded by hydroton. That way, I can then drain from the "measure tube" coming out of the bottom, and fill through the top via the 1/2" tube I installed and putting a funnel in that tube. I should be able to easily top off, or refill any amount of water that way, without having to lift the mesh pots out of the containers. Sure, I'll lift them out a bit in the first 1-4 weeks of flowering, but after the mid run flush, I'll probably just leave them to it and keep filling the containers.


I know.. I said a lot. Huge run on sentence, lmao!

 

[Rosebud]

mojo for the water.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I almost always grow hydro in the winter for exactly this same reason. The undercurrent is an interesting looking concept. My grow closet is off my master bathroom and they do make some noise, so I just stay with my individual DWC buckets. Keep in mind that all your buckets do need to be kept at the same level (which can make an even canopy harder) with any DWC recirculating system.

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Yeah, if you remember, I did RDWC as my main hydro station when I did it before. Definitely key to keep either same strain or at least same sized strains in there, for sure!

I'm pretty sure I'm doing individual containers. I'm thinking of re-using these 18 gal totes I have. Should I do two in each tote, or just one and make them big, like I used to? I'm thinking just 1 for a few reasons. That will give me 4 sites.. I can fill gaps with 5gal buckets so am probably going to run 6 here in my first round (couple weeks from now).

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Ok, time to reset and get the Veg station going hydro today. Since they are kept in a flood n drain table, I believe I'll just do flood n drain method entirely. I have no issues with humidity, so the extra won't hurt! I was going to just run drip lines to each pot and use the table to let it flow back down, but every now and then I have to clear a clogged line... bit of a pain. So, let's possibly try floodin' the table and bottom feeding. THIS should also help with my fruit flies (fungus gnats) yes? Maybe then I can put some DE or layer something on the top and actually rid myself of these damn things?

As for my flowering tents. I'm thinking 4x 18 gal totes. Should I do 1 large site for each tote, or 2 medium sites (one tote) for each? Any thoughts and suggestions there? I do know the roots will wrap, but it shouldn't matter. I also believe I will be installing a 1/2" filler tube so that I can easily add solution back into the container without lifting the container up, you know after the 5+ week mark. Use the measure tube to drain, and filler tube with funnel and pump(?) to help fill.

Just thinking out loud. Cue in anywhere you see fit

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I really think I would do a real ebb and flow. I think it is easier to keep the plants more evenly watered. The roots do fill the entire medium bed. It is easy to install ebb and flow fittings in the bottom of the medium bed and get a good flood each time. And even if we think we can get the drippers working on some kind of consistent basis, they really do not flow evenly.

You talk of doing ebb and flow for veg and then talking about 18 gal totes for flowering and I am confused? With the totes, I would think that a DWC would work best, but taking plants from an ebb and flow to go into a DWC will prove difficult.

Put a larger fill hole than 1/2". I drill an extra 4" hole in larger totes and put a net pot filled with hydrotron in the space. When I need to add water, change out the res, or check pH or ppoms, I can remove the 4" pot and have plenty of space to pour solution in or take a sample without a lot of difficulty. No advantage at all with a hole too small to work with. LOL--you might want to see how long it will take to fill an 18 gal res with a funnel and 1/2" hole, the ID of the funnel would have to be about 1/4" to fit in a 1/2" hole.

You have always done a great job with all your grows, I have no reason to believe that this one will be any different. Do keep us updated on your progress!

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

I really think I would do a real ebb and flow. I think it is easier to keep the plants more evenly watered. The roots do fill the entire medium bed. It is easy to install ebb and flow fittings in the bottom of the medium bed and get a good flood each time. And even if we think we can get the drippers working on some kind of consistent basis, they really do not flow evenly.

You talk of doing ebb and flow for veg and then talking about 18 gal totes for flowering and I am confused? With the totes, I would think that a DWC would work best, but taking plants from an ebb and flow to go into a DWC will prove difficult.

Put a larger fill hole than 1/2". I drill an extra 4" hole in larger totes and put a net pot filled with hydrotron in the space. When I need to add water, change out the res, or check pH or ppoms, I can remove the 4" pot and have plenty of space to pour solution in or take a sample without a lot of difficulty. No advantage at all with a hole too small to work with. LOL--you might want to see how long it will take to fill an 18 gal res with a funnel and 1/2" hole, the ID of the funnel would have to be about 1/4" to fit in a 1/2" hole.

You have always done a great job with all your grows, I have no reason to believe that this one will be any different. Do keep us updated on your progress!

*Answering this as I read it*

I was saying Flood and Drain for veg, as in I flood the table about 3 inches with solution, so that it will absorb through the bottom of the 1gal pots, and wick up. I was considering flooding the table twice a day for 15 minutes at a time. I will have a few air stones in the veg tank under the table. This is currently already setup and ready to go, I've just been using it as a standard table.. lol!! After I go from the veg table, I will then go to 18 gal totes, that have multiple air stones in them and run them DWC. This will be a great transition I think for them. The way I used to do it, was have the table setup how I do, then a pump in my res with 8 site drip heads on them, and small black hose (gas line sized hose.. not sure what type it was... it wasn't gas line hose, it was the better plastic) and a single line would run to the top of the 1 gal pots, and I'd stake it in place. Those would turn on twice a day for 15 minutes at a time. After about 1-2 minutes, the solution would drain out of the bottom of the pots, and go down the table and return through the drain with a small hose directing it back into the veg tank. I'm thinking, instead of running those hose lines, maybe I should just flood the table and do Flood N Drain during veg. I figure the bottom feed method should help rid my Fungus Gnats yes? Also, when I go DWC I won't have to top feed. I used to do hose feed through top + DWC + Under Current as a hybrid setup. It worked amazingly (as my past journals have shown) but few bumps along the road and a learning curve or two later, and I now have knowledge to reset and do things much better this time! (Sorry, huge paragraph just to the first thing you said hah )

OH THG I love you! So simple, I'll just cut the 4" hole and do the mesh pot / Hydroton thing! That's a great idea, so easy of a thought.. why didn't it come to my brain. Bah, so much to reconsider since I'm going back. And by the way, I'm exceedingly happy to be going back! I'm doing things smarter, not harder this time! That 4" hole is going to make my day! 18 gal totes, 4 sites.. that should be good. Just how I used to do it! Time to get back to 5-10 wholes from a single plant! And yeah, filling that up would take time certainly! This is exactly why I post my thoughts here.. what a great solution. Thank you THG!

And thank you for your kind words! You've always been super supportive, and the regulars in the collective around here are phenomenal. I'm very happy I found you all.

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Ebb and flow (also called ebb and flood and flood drain) are two phases of the tide or any similar movement of water. The ebb is the outgoing phase, when the tide drains away from the shore; and the flow is the incoming phase when water rises again.

I didn't know this is the same dang thing. I love that I'm still a noob lol!

 

[skyhighatrist]

I'm the same dude. I hate soil, the loss of control and the gnats do my head in. Hydro is harder work but my grent green god it's worth it.

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

^ Exactly! :aok:

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I love hydro and have been doing it for years. I do feel quite strongly though about growing things for purely medical use organic. I really wish there was a good hydro organic method for cannabis, but I have yet to find it. For just fun bud though, it is hard to beat hydro. I always get such explosive growth with it.

Sounds like you pretty much have your duck in order, but then that is your way. Just keep an eye on the drippers. I use them outdoors in the summer for hanging baskets and other individual pots I have scattered throughout the yard, but I do have to keep an eye on them all the time. You will have to balance the lines so that the first drippers in the line do not hog all the water. They also tend to leak--those push on connections are not really that water tight. Using all plastic does better with nutrients, so try to use all plastic connections if you can.

I know that you will do fine. I look forward to pulling up a stool and watching the show!

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

I "used" to do the drip lines.. not doing them this time. I'm Flooding and Draining the table in veg, and DWC in flower.

Thanks so much THG!

 

[skyhighatrist]

How do you "balance the lines"?

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure she has good reason in there. Personally, I used to never have a problem with more flow from one to another, at least that I had noticed... just sometimes a drip head would clog, just in the head where it attached to the hose.

Won't be dealing with that anymore. Flooding the entire table, and feeding from bottom only in the veg tent, then DWC 18 gal totes in the flowering tents.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

How do you "balance the lines"?

Basically you are trying to get the same pressure to all your drippers. Otherwise the ones closest to the water source put out more water than they should and the ones at the end of the line has little or nothing coming from them. I run multiple lines out from the main water line and try to keep them the same length, even if I have to coil them. Or camake loops of the supply lines and try to feed equal pressure to all heads. They make drip manifolds that you might want to check out if you use drip lines.

 

[skyhighatrist]

Cool, I get that now. The higher the end of the supply line the greater the pressure at the start correct?

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Flood and Drain table was cleaned, setup and put into operation in the Veg space last night. Table floods even enough, and drains wonderfully. I ended up putting 4 quality air stones in there, and a small fish tank heater.

Temps... CHECK!
PH... CHECK!
PPM's... CHECK!
Clean/non-toxic/everything in order... CHECK!


I freaking love water!!

 

[skyhighatrist]

Lol

 

[Dr. Green Fang]

Took my first cuttings in Rockwool last night. They haven't entirely fallen over today, so that's good! If I can get good at using Rockwool, I'll be able to eliminate my need for Sunshine.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I find I have better luck with rapid rooters than rockwool cubes, which I can never seem to keep the correct amount of wet with them.